Saturday, 11 March 2017

AKWA IBOM SPEAKER SUED FOR N500M FOR BATTERING MEDICAL DOCTOR

Civil rights lawyer, Mr. Inibehe Effiong, has given a 14-day ultimatum to Mr. Onofiok Akpan Luke, Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, to tender a public apology and pay the N500million to Dr. David Emmanuel Udo, a medical practitioner. Dr. Udo,
who is based in Akwa Ibom State, was almost tortured to death by two
armed security escorts attached to the Speaker for allegedly refusing to
give way to Mr. Luke’s convoy. The father of six can no longer walk and
has his face badly damaged.

The lawyer's ultimatum was
contained in a four- page letter dated 9 March and obtained by
SaharaReporters. Signed by the lawyer, the letter, which was served on
the Speaker on Friday, provided a detailed account of Dr. Udo's
grotesque treatment by the Speaker's escorts on June 25, 2016.

The lawyer stated that doctors have advised his Dr. Udo, whose skull
and eyes were badly affected by the incident, to urgently seek medical
attention abroad.

"Arising from that tragic incident, our
client has been traversing different hospitals across the country,
including the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu, Enugu State to treat
his badly damaged skull and face. Our client’s vision is now blurred
arising from the attack, which extended to his two eyes. Our client has
so far spent millions of naira to treat himself. Our client has been
informed by his doctors that he urgently needs to seek further and
advanced medical attention abroad,’’ disclosed Effiong.

The
lawyer has vowed to take the matter to court on behalf of Dr. Udo if the
Speaker fails to meet the ultimatum to publicly apologize to and
compensate him.

On the day of the incident, said Mr. Effiong,
his client, wife, and children were on their way to Eket from Uyo when
they drove into a crowd of youths on a procession in honor of a young
footballer, who died shortly after securing a contract with a foreign
soccer club.

"On getting to the section of the Aka Nung Udoe Ibesikpo Road, where
the Cereal Research Institute is situated, our client heard the siren
blaring incessantly behind his car. On closer observation, our client
observed that the blaring siren car was part of a motorcade/convoy
comprising three vehicles. One of the vehicles in the convoy bore the
insignia of the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly," said
the lawyer. He added that the victim observed that the Speaker was
seated at the back of the vehicle bearing the insignia, apparently
instructing his security escorts, who are officers of the State Security
Service (SSS) and the Nigeria Police Force, to clear the road for the
Speaker to pass.

Dr. Udo, the lawyer, narrated further, made
efforts to yield the way for the Speaker's convoy to have free passage,
but his car had been blocked by other vehicles and the mourners.

"While our client was still battling to
vacate the road for your convoy, a fierce- looking mobile policeman
emerged from the Toyota Hilux van, which led two other vehicles in your
convoy, and hit his vehicle with his assault rifle (possibly an AK 47)
and proceeded to give our client a brutal punch in the face whilst
shouting 'clear the road’. As our client trembled in fear, he received a
devastating slap on his face from the same mobile policeman in your
escort and became dazed," said the lawyer.

He also explained
that the victim attempted to give reasons the gridlock, but was stopped
from doing so by an SSS operative, who opened Dr. Udo's door and
attempted, unsuccessfully, to remove the car.

"The
SSS operative continued with the assault on our client by raining blows
on his face. He punched his eyes, nose and as our client tried to cover
and protect his face from the heavy punches, the erratic SSS operative
raised his assault rifle and butted our client in the head and chest
until he almost lost consciousness," Mr. Effiong narrated.

Realizing they wanted to kill him, Mr. Effiong said his client tried to
move back but was stopped by the SSS official, who knocked him
unconscious by smashing a rifle on his head.

"Our client was
informed by his wife on the 26th June 2016 at about 12:00 PM at Emmanuel
General Hospital Eket where he was rushed to that when the said SSS
operative in your convoy thought that he had died, he left our client
and opened the front door of the very insignia- bearing vehicle you were
seated in, the vehicle and others in your convoy zoomed off and left
our client to his fate," added Mr. Effiong.

He recalled that
the Speaker phoned Dr. Udo a day after the incident to express sympathy
after reading his post about his ordeal on Facebook.

"You
pointedly told him over the phone that you did not know that our client
was a medical practitioner. You told our client that you thought that he
was 'one of those hooligans'. You will also recall that you sent your
friend and associate, Mr. Leo Umana
to meet with our client in his residence in Eket on Saturday 2nd July,
2016 at about 4:30 PM when you learnt of his critical and deteriorating
health condition. The said Mr. Umana never gave our client a feedback,"
the lawyer told Mr. Luke. When Dr. Udo demanded the identity and
prosecution of the two security men from Mr. Luke, the Speaker
discontinued communication.